At this point, on 14 October 1933, Germany withdrew from the
International Disarmament Conference and from the League of
Nations. The Nazis took this opportunity to break away from
the international negotiations and to take an aggressive
position on an issue which would not be serious enough to
provoke reprisal from other countries. At the same time,
Germany attached so much importance to this action that it
considered the possibility of the application of sanctions
by other countries. In anticipation of the probable nature
of such sanctions and the countries which might apply them,
plans were made.for armed resistance on land, at sea, and in
the air. Military preparations

[Page 437]

were ordered in a directive from the Reichsminister for
Defense (von Blomberg) to the head of the Army High Gommand
(Fritsch), the head of the Navy High Command, Raeder), and
the Reichsminister for Air, (Goering) (C-140). This
directive, dated 25 October 1933, 11 days after the
withdrawal from the Disarmament Conference and the League of
Nations, provides:

"1. The enclosed directive gives the basis for
preparation of the armed forces in the case of
sanctions being applied against Germany.

"2. I request the chiefs of the Army and Navy High
Command and the Reichsminister for Air to carry out the
preparations in accordance with the following points:

"(a) Strictest secrecy. It is of the utmost importance
that no facts become known to the outside world from
which preparation for resistance against sanctions can
be inferred or- which is incompatible with Germany's
existing obligations n the sphere of foreign policy
regarding the demilitarized zone. If necessary, the
preparations must take second place to this necessity." (C-140)

One of the immediate consequences of this action was that
following the withdrawal from the League of Nations,
Germany's armament program was still further increased. As
it was ordered on 12 May 1934:

"6. Owing to the speed of military political
development since Germany quitted Geneva and based on
the progress of the army, the new A-Plan will only be
drawn up for a period of two years. The third A phase
lasts accordingly from 1 April 1934 to 31 March 1936." (C-153)

On 10 March 1935, Goering announced that Germany was
building a military air force. At page 1830 of Das Archiv it
is stated:

"The Reich Minister for Aviation, General of the
Airmen, Goering, in his talk with the special
correspondent of the Daily Mail, Ward Price, expressed
himself on the subject of the German Air Force.

"General Goering said:

"In the extension of our national defense [Scherhet],
it was necessary, as we repeatedly told the world, to
take care of defense in the air. As far as that is
concerned, I restricted myself to those measures
absolutely necessary. The guiding-line of my actions
was, not the creation of an aggressive force which
would threaten other nations, but merely the

[Page 438]

completion of a military aviation which would be strong
enough to repel, at any time, attacks on Germany."

"In conclusion, the correspondent asked whether the
German Air Force will be capable of repelling attacks
on Germany. General Goering replied to that exactly as
follows:

"The German Air Force is just as passionately permeated
with the will to defend the Fatherland to the last as
it is convinced, on the other hand, that it will never
be employed to threaten the peace of other nations." (2292-PS)

Since they had gone as far as they could on rearmament and
the secret training of personnel, the next step necessary to
the conspirators' program for aggressive war was a large-
scale increase in military strength. This could no longer be
done under disguise and camouflage, and would have to be
known to the world. Accordingly, on 16 March 1935, there was
promulgated a law for universal military service, in
violation of Article 173 of the Versailles Treaty. That law
appeared in the Reichsgesetzblatt, Title I, Vol. I, 1935,
page 369. The text of the law itself provides:

"In this spirit the German Reich Cabinet has today
passed the following law:

"Law for the Organization of the Armed Forces of 16
March 1935.

"The-Reich Cabinet has passed the following law which
is herewith promulgated:

"Service in the Armed Forces is based upon compulsory
military duty.

"In peace time, the German Army, including the police
troops transferred to it, is organized into: 12 Corps
and 36 Divisions.

"The Reich Minister of War is charged with the duty of
submitting immediately to the Reich Ministry detailed
laws on compulsory military duty." (1654-PS)

The law is signed first by the Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor
Adolf Hitler, and then by many other officials, including
von Neurath, Frick, Schacht, Goering, Hess, and Frank. (1654-PS)

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